Toph Alone
by ravyn42
Summary: After the war, Aang and the gang move on to separate corners of the world to help in the rebuilding effort and better their skills... Except for Toph who is left alone in Ba Sing Se.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I will fully admit that I am an avid Tokka fan. I have no plans to take the story in that direction, but given my intense Tokka love, there is a distinct possibility that will happen. I'm willing to see where the story is going if you are!

I am also willing to take suggestions for the progression of the story! So please leave feedback!

Also, this first chapter is a little rough. I do intend to edit in more details and descriptions as I feel out the tone of the story.

Thanks for reading!

-Ravyn

Update: Corrected the overall tone of the story. Many thanks to GrossGirl18 for pointing out that Toph's dialogue was overly formal.

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><p>Zuko was the first to leave. No one harbored any negative feelings for leaving so soon. He was the Fire Lord and his nation needed him. He could not ignore his responsibilities. Mai decided to stay behind a little longer to spend time with Ty Lee, so Zuko traveled alone.<p>

Aang and Katara departed shortly after Zuko. The Avatar had his own responsibilities, one of which was finding and training future generations of Air Benders. The Air Nomads were wiped out, but he could at least find people who had the Air Bender spirit and teach the martial arts forms, way of life, and history. If he was lucky, the Air Bender line would be revived in future generations. If luck was not his side, then at least his progeny would have masters of the discipline to look up to after he was gone. Although, Aang never gave up hope that a few had survived the eradication of his people and continued the traditions in secret. Now that the war was over, they could come forward. Katara had reminded him to not get too hopeful, but she secretly wished for survivors as well. In the meantime, rebuilding the temples and foundation for future Benders was vitally important and they did not want to waste any time.

After a while, Mai and Ty Lee said their good-byes. Mai left for the Fire Nation while Ty Lee followed the Kyoshi Warriors. Mai had commented upon the strange bond between Ty Lee and the Kyoshi Warriors. Ty Lee joined the circus so that she would not be part of a 'matched set' and yet she joined warriors who all dressed the same. But she felt like part of a family with the Kyoshi Warriors. And despite the fact that they all dressed the same, she knew her value as an individual would be appreciated. Mai was happy for her. Ty Lee found where she belonged. Mai knew where she belonged as well and returned to her homeland to prepare for life as the wife of the Fire Lord.

Sokka and Suki lingered the longest. Suki wanted to leave with her Warriors, but parting from Sokka was nearly impossible. She pleaded for him to return to Kyoshi Island with her. He wanted to go with her, but he had an offer he did not want to refuse. Zuko had asked him to be one of his guards as a sort of liaison from the Water Tribe. Piandao stated he would continue Sokka's training as well. Sokka did not want to pass up the offer, but he did not want to be separated from Suki either. In the end, they both decided that the distance would not hinder their relationship so long as they took the time to write frequently and to visit each other often. There was a risk they would grow apart, but it was a risk they were willing to take in favor of becoming stronger warriors. They would be together again one day, but for now they said farewell as went their separate ways.

All that was left was Toph. She had no plans for training or other responsibilities like everyone else. She had no plans at all and now she was alone. All alone. Iroh had offered his home to her while everyone was away so that she would not be so lonely in the large house that she had shared with her friends in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. His home was also in the upper ring, but was more 'homely', which suited Toph just fine. To further soothe her loneliness, he offered to teach her Pai Sho which they played every day. At first, she showed little interested, but day after day she was drawn into the game. The strategy kept her mind occupied and she felt family interacting with Iroh.

Time passed and she adjusted to life without her friends always by her side. It was a painful adjustment that made her numb. Each day she grew more and more numb. She new Iroh had noticed; she could feel the tension between them. She knew he wanted to talk to her. Thankfully he did not broach the topic. He left her alone as she tried to work through it on her own. She knew she could not put it off forever though. Then came the day. Toph had felt it in the air, in his presence when they shared breakfast. After feeling him leave for the Jasmine Dragon, she debated whether or not to go for her Pai Sho match. She argued with herself for a while before finally deciding to go to the tea shop. She didn't really want to talk about it, so did as little as she could to incite conversation as she sat down at the Pai Sho table where Iroh waited for her.

"Hmm… you seem to be quite distracted today," Iroh commented after a few moves.

Toph responded only with a mild grunt as she moved a tile into her opponent's territory. Iroh looked quizzically at the move before placing another tile. Toph fumbled through her tiles and then placed one to block Iroh's move.

"Are you certain that is the piece you wish to play?" he asked. Toph picked up the piece and felt its contours.

"Did I grab the wrong one again?" The ornate carvings on the tiles were so similar not to mention well worn from use. Many of them were only differentiated by their colors. The dense grain wood of the table gave her no trouble in revealing the position of all the tiles, but her Earth Sight could barely make out any details of the well-worn tiles. She needed to use her fingers to feel the fine details, but even that could not reveal the color painted on the tiles. Each tile had a unique feel and she had to trust herself to pick the right tiles, not to mention trust that she understood Iroh's strategy to know which tile he had placed. When in doubt, she just asked which piece he had placed, but today she was uncharacteristically quiet. She had not been paying attention to his tiles or hers.

"We can try again when you are more focused," Iroh offered as he watched her feeling the details of her tiles.

"No, I'm good," she replied, replacing her last move with the intended tile.

"I know that learning Pai Sho is challenging, but I can see that it is an even greater challenge for you," he said, moving a tile across the board.

"Yeah, I know. The blind girl can't learn a silly game." She placed another tile then waited for the usual pity she heard from her teachers in the past. She was surprised when she heard neither pity nor Iroh moving or placing a tile.

"I will not deny that a lack of sight can make many things a great deal more challenging, but that does not mean it is impossible. I was referring more to your lack of focus. You have been easily distracted since your friends started to leave." He waited for a response, but when she said nothing he placed another tile. Toph reached out to touch the tile to be sure she 'saw' it correctly, then placed her own tile. As the game progressed, Iroh frowned disapprovingly at her strategy. He allowed the game to continue for a few more moves until it was clear that she was far too distracted to enter the end game. He sighed as he stood.

"We shall try again tomorrow, Toph. For now, collect the tiles and I will go make us some tea."

Toph really couldn't argue. She nodded and then felt him walk away. She collected the tiles and put them away. She left his pouch of tiles on the Pai Sho table and stowed her pouch under her belt. Shifting uncomfortably on the cushion where she sat, she wondered if she should move to a table for tea. Usually, they shared tea while discussing the match to learn further tactics, but he had asked her to put the tiles away. Were they not going to discuss the match?

'I guess there's not much to discuss' she thought to herself as she stood and found a chair at an empty table. Iroh returned shortly with the tea that they shared in silence. After a while, the silence became unbearable.

"You're not going to ask me anything?" Toph blurted.

"Is there any reason I should?" Iroh responded earnestly.

"Isn't that what friends do, digging into other people's personal business?"

Iroh considered this for a moment while he sipped his tea. He knew that saying the wrong thing could crush her in her insecurities.

"It is natural to show concern over the troubles a friend faces. When we see pain around us, we seek to learn about the pain so that we can help ease it. I think I know what is causing you pain, so I have no need to ask. Besides, I know you are a very private person and dislike such inquiries. And I know that you will talk to me about your pain when you are ready."

Toph let his words sink in while Iroh poured more tea into her cup. Her face shifted from a dull, empty sadness to the brink of tears. Iroh reached out to take her shaking hands.

"I'm all alone, Uncle…" she wept. "I'm so alone…"

"I know, Toph," he answered as he watched her weep.

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><p>Toph felt like a fool walking into the Jasmine Dragon the next day. She could not believe that she had started crying. No one else had been there at the time, but she still felt silly for being so weak. She could feel a lot of people in the shop today. And the Pai Sho table was occupied! She approached the station where Iroh was preparing the tea.<p>

"Would you like some help, Uncle?" Toph offered.

"I would be very appreciative, Toph. Go find an apron and you can take this tray to the table near the door," he said hastily as he put a teapot and some cups on a tray. Toph retrieved an apron from a peg on the wall and put it on. Toph gathered up the tray and took it to the table, greeting the customers with a smile. She had helped in the shop many times before and was not fond of the chipper attitude Iroh preferred for serving tea, but she enjoyed being useful and smiled to the customers without regret and served their tea.

The afternoon remained busy for a while. To Toph's surprise, the rush of customers invigorated her spirit. The smile she had been wearing for show started to turn inward and she realized that she was enjoying herself. She would have never thought it was possible, but she even giggled when a customer called her a sweet girl. Tray after tray of tea, she ran out the orders as Iroh prepared them. The business started to ebb as the evening progressed and before she knew it the day had ended and she helped Iroh close up the shop.

"I really must thank you for your assistance, Toph. My employee did not show up today, so I was in quite a bind before you showed up," he said as he washed teacups and watched Toph wipe down tables.

"No problem! You needed the help, I needed something to do... Seemed to make sense to me," she replied casually as she finished wiping down one table and moved onto the next. "Honestly, I enjoyed it."

"I noticed. I was happy to see you smiling again." Toph replied with a shy smile. "I'm glad to see that you are feeling better. You've been so distant lately and I was worried."

"I know, Uncle. I didn't mean to worry you," she said as she came back to the tea station and put the rag away. She grabbed the broom and started sweeping. "I think I'm ready to talk if you are ready to listen." Toph felt him hesitate. She stopped sweeping and faced Iroh, confused with his hesitation. "Uncle?"

"Yes, Toph, I am always willing to listen. You just caught me by surprise!" he said with a chuckle. "Let me put on some tea and we can sit and talk."

Toph nodded and continued to sweep. With all the noise and vibrations from customers now gone, she could hear the tink of teacups as he put them away. She heard him draw water and set it over a fire to boil. She loved the sounds of his routine and smiled. Then she heard paper rustling, which was odd since making tea did not involve paper. Iroh kept his tea in ornate jars.

'Maybe he got a new tea…' she thought to herself. She had been with him a few times to pick up new teas from an herbalist. The herbs and teas were sold in paper pouches. She wondered which tea he was making

She finished sweeping as she heard the kettle whistle and then the sound of Iroh pouring the water into a teapot. She returned to the tea station, put the broom away, removed her apron and hung it on its peg. She retrieved two teacups and found the tray with the steeping teapot, placing the cup on the tray. She was careful to not bump into Iroh. She 'saw' that he was holding something, so she took the tray and carried it to a table. He followed her and they sat. She heard paper as he place the item he was hold onto the table.

'So it's not new tea,' she thought as he poured the tea. Sure enough, the tea in her cup smelled like the green tea with jasmine he served to his customers. She smiled. He knew it was her favorite.

"So, Toph, what did you want to talk about?"

Toph didn't really want to talk but she knew it was time; she just didn't know where to start. She felt so unsure of herself, a feeling to which she was unaccustomed. She turned the teacup round and round in her hands, studying the smooth contours as she pondered where to start.

"I don't know what to do. I don't think I've ever known what to do. Before Aang, Katara, and Sokka came along I was hiding who I was from my parents with no goals outside of winning the next Earth Rumble match. Being with my friends and teaching Aang gave me so much purpose. What am I supposed to do now that they are gone? They didn't just leave me alone; they left me with nothing to do."

"Which explains why you enjoyed Pai Sho so much. It gave you something to do!" he chuckled. Toph nodded in response and waited anxiously for him to continue. "I cannot tell you want to do, but I can tell you what I would do if I were in your place. I would want to go home to see my mother and father."

His answer surprised her. She had told him how she felt about her parents and her fears about going back. She felt a need to accept what he said; she needed to go home. But she was so afraid.

"But… What if they do not approve of who I am? What if they are still disappointed at me for leaving?"

"All actions have consequences, Toph, and I cannot presume to tell how to face them or how they would react; I can only advise that you should at least try. One day, you will not have the opportunity to go home and you will regret not making any attempts to mend your relationship with them."

She did not want to admit it, but she knew he was right. She sipped her tea, thinking of what to say.

"I'm just so scared…" she finally whispered.

"Fear is natural and even necessary at times," Iroh replied with a nod. "Much of who we are is defined by how we react to fear."

"So…" she started, then hesitated. "So I should go, even though I'm afraid?"

"You should go because you are afraid. You will never get over those fears if you do not face them. I have heard tales from your friends about how you were fearless in battle. And when you were afraid, they spoke of your unwavering commitment to the team and the courage you showed by rising to the challenge. This is just one more battle for you to face." he said as he refilled the teacups.

"Then I'll go home. The war has been over for months, it's time," she said with great resolve. She was scared out of her wits, but Iroh was right and she could not put this off forever. "I will go home…"

"Excellent! And you will not go alone. I will accompany you."

"But your tea shop!" she said, surprised at the offer. "What will you do about your tea shop?"

"Sometimes there are things more important than a tea shop. Right now, you need someone you consider family to give you support. How could I deny you that?" he said warmly. "Besides, I can hire an extra employee to run the store in my absence."

She heard the rustling of paper. He took her hand and placed it on the item he had carried to the table.

"I thought you would be ready for this, so I have been saving this for you. I hope that it helps you prepare to see your parents."

She smiled at the fond affection in his voice.

'He really does see me as family doesn't he?' she thought as she fumbled with the paper parcel. It was secured with twine. It was a challenge to untie, but once free of the twine, she unfolded the paper to reveal silk; fold upon fold of silk bundled neatly in the paper. She found a seam leading to a collar. An outfit? She lifted the garment to better inspect it. It was silk robe with flowers embroidered around the edges of the sleeves and then hem, the outer layer of a hanfu. And folded inside the robe was a thick brocade sash to secure the robe. Underneath the robe, she found the dress. The bodice was delicately embroidered with an elegant array of flowers that flowed into layer upon layer of light, airy fabric for the skirt. Then she realized that it was not a skirt, but pants! The way the fabric was layered felt like a skirt, but she was certain it was pants. And the textures were a delight to explore. Finally at the bottom of the parcel, she found shoes. She laughed when she noticed that they had no soles, just a strap under the arch to keep them from sliding around. They were decorated with the same embroidery as the hanfu. There was also a jade comb and a hairpin decorated with a spray of silk jasmine flowers.

"Uncle, this is too much for me. If I wear this, I'd be hiding who I am just like I did when I was home."

"No, you would not be hiding who you are. You would be accentuating who you are!" he said as he reached out and lifted her chin. "You hold your head high, not to conform to society but to show the world your confidence. You wear nice clothes not because you were born to a privileged family but because you want to show the world your self worth. It is not about the clothes… It's about how you wear them. It means having the confidence to have a commanding presence. The clothes do not define you. You wear them because you define you." He took her hands and ran them over the hanfu. "Feel the love and art that went into it. The textures and the fine stitching… You must learn to appreciate the substance of things. Besides, a young lady of your beauty deserves a beautiful outfit."

"I'm not beautiful," she said shyly as she traced her fingers along the embroidery.

"And who are you, being unable to see, to tell me that you are not beautiful?"

"You could just say it to make me feel better. Although I can tell when people are lying."

"Then you know I am truthful when I say that you are lovely."

He sounded hopeful that his words were reaching her. She did not want to wear the outfit, but his words were getting through. She touched the silk robe one more time.

"What color is it?"

"Pale green, the color of your eyes." He brush aside the dark fringe of hair that hid her face and held the silk up to her cheek. The silk felt wonderfully soft against her skin. She heard a soft chuckle from Iroh. "I cannot tell where the silk ends and your eyes begin."

"Then I'll wear it for you, Uncle."

"No, Toph, I want you to wear it for you."

She smiled. How could she not at least try? The gift was so generous and thoughtful, how could she not try? She held the robe to her chest and nodded. She would wear the hanfu! She would wear it for herself.

Toph was going home…


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken Iroh some time to find a new employee to help run the Jasmine Dragon in his absence. Toph nearly gave up on the idea of returning to Gaoling while waiting for it to happen. Her nerves were so on edge she had wanted to scream most days. To help prepare her, Iroh had taken her to buy new clothes. Her usual travel garb had become very worn and tattered as a result of the battles she had faced. He wanted to see her off with the confidence necessary to face her parents. She thought she understood what he was trying to accomplish, but deep inside she still felt like she was hiding behind her upbringing.

"_This is not hiding, Toph, but rather revealing a secret part of yourself. Despite your rough demeanor, I can see the grace of your upbringing. You cannot hide that part of yourself. Use it to make you stronger," he had said as he helped her square her shoulders at the dressmaker's shop. "That poise can give you strength and balance, if you let it…"_

She desperately searched for that balance now. She tugged at the mandarin collar of her new traveling clothes as she tried to work her way through her bending forms. She had already tried bending to blow off steam, but all that had accomplished was to prolong and deepen the frustration she felt. Now, she just focused on the movements, slow and steady.

"Good, excellent!" Iroh said encouragingly. She felt him move closer to her and then finally felt one hand on the small of her back and one hand on her shoulder. "But when you slouch, you have less control over your breath," he added as he corrected her posture.

She started her forms from the beginning and took note of the difference in her breathing. She continued to focus on that rhythm as she moved gracefully from one stance to the next. When she had finished her forms, she sighed and returned to the carriage.

"Better?" Iroh asked as he followed her.

Toph could barely manage a nod as she tried to make herself comfortable. She had not been wrong in her assumption that riding in a carriage would be as disconcerting as riding on Appa, but it was either ride in a carriage or walk. Gaoling was too far to travel on foot. Iroh had also suggested they ride ostrichhorses for a faster trip, but Toph did not feel comfortable trying to control an animal with no way to see where she was going. The carriage shifted as Iroh entered and took a seat across from her. She heard a tap on the wall as Iroh signaled the driver that they were ready. With a snap of the reins, the driver urged the ostrichhorses forward and the journey resumed.

Toph could not tolerate the motion of the cart, the vibrations, or the lack of her Earth Sight. As time went on, she became more and more tense, unable to sit still. Iroh, sensing her growing frustration, decided to speak up.

"Try to calm yourself, Toph. The fewer times we have to stop then the sooner we will arrive. I should not have to remind you the importance of patience. Focus on your breathing, it will not be much longer."

Toph did as she was instructed and focused on the rhythm of her breathing once again. In her mind, she felt the motions of her bending forms as she had moments before. It was difficult to block out the motion of the carriage and noises of travel, but she managed to still her thoughts and anxiety long enough to catch a brief moment of sleep. She awoke to feel the last ray of warmth fade as the sun dipped below the horizon. It wasn't until the carriage had stopped that she realized she had even fallen asleep at all. Then she felt Iroh's hand on her knee.

"Toph, we have arrived."

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as Iroh exited the carriage, then turned to offer a hand to help her out. She was more than grateful for the help. She was exhausted! Stepping onto the familiar cobble stone street of her hometown felt strangely cathartic. She could feel the life of the town through to her very soul. It was odd how the town felt so different and yet still the same. She breathed a deep sigh as Iroh led her into the inn. They shared a brief and quiet dinner while their belongings were brought to their rooms. Toph reminded Iroh to send a messenger to her family, then retired for the evening.

Toph was delighted to find that a hot bath was waiting for her in the room. She found her belongings tucked beside the bed, laid out her sleeping clothes, stripped away the brocade top and loos fitting pants, and slid into the steaming water. She really didn't care for bathing, but the heat helped soothed the ache from the long journey. As she allowed the stress to melt away, her mind began to wander to her parents. She wondered if they had received the message Katara helped her write before the Day of Black Sun. She hadn't really known what to say in the letter so she just had Katara write this was a journey she needed to take, that she missed her parents and that she would return when the journey was complete. Forcing herself to be honest now, she still didn't know what to say… But she had returned and she did still miss them.

She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard a knock at her door.

"Miss? Your guardian suggested that you might need some help?" the voice she heard was a young woman. She hesitated a moment before replying.

"Yes…" she said shakily, "you may enter."

While in the water, she could not feel enough to get a sense of the woman that had entered her room. She could hear the woman doing something by the bed.

"I see you have found your clothes just fine. Would you like me to lay out your attire for tomorrow?"

Toph nodded and then sat in silence as she heard the woman set herself to work. She wasn't sure what to do. It felt so strange to have the attendant so close while she was bathing. Even her friends had given her more space than this!

Eventually, the woman came over to the tub and started to unpin Toph's hair. At first, Toph did not like the idea of needing help in the bath, but the lady shushed her at the first utterance of a protest. It felt so awkward having someone else handling her hair, especially since her hair was so badly tangled that it could not be washed until it was combed. As she sat in the bath with a stranger combing her hair, she tried to think of things to say. Her weariness must have been getting the better of her; having someone else combing her hair started to feel nice. Having the hair washed was not so pleasant. Her hair was so dusty that it had to be washed twice, vigorously. Toph, wiping the stinging soap out of her eyes, was shocked that the woman didn't take it easy on her.

Finally clean, the woman offered Toph a towel and made sure she didn't slip getting out of the tub. While Toph sat and dried herself, her attendant drained the tub then returned to comb and braid Toph's hair. When the braid landed on her back, she was surprised with how long it had gotten. While traveling with Aang and their friends, she had hardly taken her hair down so there had been now way to notice the difference.

"I assume you can dress yourself, yes?" the lady asked abruptly.

"Uh, yes, thank you."

"Will you be needing anything else before I go?"

Toph shook her head in response. The woman blew out the lanterns that were only lit for her benefit and left as quickly as she had arrived. Toph dressed for bed and lay down, but sleep took its time returning to her. Tomorrow would be a big day for her. She wondered if she would be able to show her parents how sorry she was for leaving the way she did. She really did miss them. Maybe now that she was a war hero, they would be proud of her. Maybe now they would love her.

* * *

><p>Toph awoke to the sound of someone knocking on the door.<p>

"Go away!" she mumbled at the door. Against her wishes, the door swung open and the woman from the night before came in with a tray, set it on a small table and then opened the drapes to let in the sunlight. Toph could feel the warmth on her face and grimaced, not wanting to get up. But she smelled food! Food was always a good reason to get out of bed. She dragged herself out of the warm bed and plopped herself in front of the food on the tray. The attendant started preparing Toph's hair while she ate.

"What's your name?" Toph asked in between mouthfuls of fruit and bread.

"Lin," the woman said briskly and then added, "You should not speak with food in your mouth."

"Yeah, yeah…" Toph grumbled in response. She was shocked and surprised when Lin struck her on the wrist. It didn't really hurt, but there was a sting to it. "Hey! What was that for?" Toph bellowed only to be struck again.

"That kind of attitude is unsightly for a lady," Lin said flatly as she worked Toph's hair into a more formal version of her bun and pulled the fringe out of Toph's face.

"I'm not a lady!" Toph said gruffly. She felt Lin move to strike her wrist again and pulled the target hand away quickly. "Just what did Uncle give you permission to do?"

"He did not permit anything particular. He only suggested to me that you might need help. So I am helping," she said as she finished securing the bun with the jade comb Iroh had given her. "Now, get dressed."

Toph was getting tired of being told what to do. She turned to face Lin and took a big bite of her bread in defiance. She was going to finish her breakfast first! She was surprised once again when Lin took her by the arm and pulled Toph to her feet.

"I see what Iroh meant when he said you are undisciplined."

"Undisciplined?" Toph said incredulously through her mouthful of bread. "I'm an Earth Bending Master, how can you call me undisciplined?" Toph was so furious she was ready to uproot the whole town.

"I am sure you are a great bender. Tales of your feats and heroics have spread quickly. But I highly doubt you are a master with your lack of self control." Lin answered bluntly as she helped Toph undress.

Toph's rage was suddenly deflated as she realized that Lin's words were no different than Iroh's wisdom. It was like she could hear him through Lin's voice. In way, she liked Lin's forward attitude, she just didn't like being told what to do. She let Lin's words stew in her brain as she put on the dress modified with pants but still retained the fit of a dress.

"Am I really that undisciplined or did Uncle tell you something?" she said after a while.

"He did not mention anything specific. Where we are from, there are certain ways a person should not act. It does not matter if you are noble or poor, a great bender or a novice… It does not matter that you cannot see, you cannot use that as an excuse to act out."

Lin's words cut through her. All the time that Iroh was trying to be kind with his words, this was what he had been trying to tell her. How could she not see it?

"So, you are Fire Nation? You said 'we'," she asked, trying to avoid the lesson.

"Yes," answered Lin as she held out the embroidered silk robe. "My family has served the ruling family for generations, although I have not had the honor of serving in the capital. I only just recently finished my education at the Academy."

"Then why are you here in the southern Earth Kingdom?" Toph asked, sliding into the robe and letting Lin adjust how it lay across her shoulders.

"Your guardian sent word to my family and so my family sent me." Lin secured the robe with a sash and adjusted the folds so that the robe revealed the lovely, embroidered dress underneath. She retrieved the neatly folded brocade obi as Toph put on her shoes. Toph remained silent as she held out her arms so Lin could wrap the thick obi around her.

'Am I really that undisciplined?' Toph reiterated to herself as she could feel Lin tugging the obi about to tie it into shape with the help of a silk sash and a smooth chord. She hung her head, lost in thought. This was cut short when Lin tapped on her shoulder.

"Remember your posture."

Toph straightened up while Lin finished securing the obi in a box-like shape against her back. Lin made a few minor adjustments to the folds of the robe then added the jasmine hairpin.

"Am I ready?" Toph asked sheepishly.

"Only you can decide if you are ready," Lin said with a reassuring hand on Toph's shoulder, "but you are done dressing. Just remember to keep your chin high and you will be fine."

"Thank you, Lin," Toph answered with a nervous nod. She left Lin to tidy up and descended the stairs to meet Iroh in the lobby where she could feel him waiting for her. As she approached, she could hear a catch in his breath.

"Toph, you look lovely," he said warmly. Toph could feel the heat in her cheeks as she blushed.

"If you say so. I still feel so strange wearing this." Toph had trouble admitting this. She did not want to appear ungrateful, but she still felt so unlike herself wearing such a fancy dress. Although, she did admit to herself that it was easy to move given pant modification to the skirt. Most of the dresses she had worn in the past had been cumbersome to wear.

"Toph," Iroh started with a gesture towards the door, "you must start trusting the people around you who love you."

Love. This was a concept that was totally foreign to her. As much as she longed for the love of her parents, actually having it felt so distant. But she felt love from Iroh. He really was like an uncle to her.

"Yes, Uncle," she replied as they started the walk to the Bei Fong estate. With each step, she felt the anxiety start to return. "You did send a messenger to let them know we were coming, right?"

"Last night, as you requested."

Toph did not want to give too much notice of her impending visit. She knew if she had sent the messenger while they were still in Ba Sing Se, then her parents would have had the time to arrange a big gathering for her return. Anyhow, she did not want to get her parent's hopes up in case she turned coward and ran away again. She had insisted that Iroh send the messenger once they reached Gaoling.

"Did they… The messenger? Did he bring back a message?" she asked expectantly.

"He said that your parents accepted the message graciously. You father immediately called for his scribe to clear his schedule for today. You mother seemed excited to hear that you were coming."

Toph was struck speechless. Her father had never cleared his schedule for her before! Any interaction he had with Toph had always been in between business engagements. She almost could not believe they even wanted to see her after the way she left. The walk was giving her too much time to think. Her mind began to fill with 'What if's. What if they were still too disappointed in her? What if they tried to keep her locked up in the estate? What if…

Iroh took her hand and gave it a reassuring pat.

"Toph, calm down. We are here," he said. She was surprised to realize he was correct. She had been so distracted to notice the estate grow closer.

"Uncle, I don't know if I can do this," she finally admitted. Iroh responded by squeezing her hand affectionately.

"Toph, no matter how it goes, I want you to know that I am proud of you for coming this far. I know it cannot have been easy. I know you can do this." He lifted her chin one last time. "You have everything you require to succeed. It is all in you."

Toph took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she felt the gate to the estate open.

* * *

><p>Lao watched his wife pace across the audience chamber. Poppy had refused to sit while waiting for their daughter to arrive. Neither had gotten any sleep since receiving the message last night.<p>

"Do you think our dear Toph could ever forgive us for how cruel we were?" Poppy asked her husband desperately. Since hearing tales of how she helped the Avatar save the world, they both came to the agreement that the way they had sheltered her had indeed been cruel.

Lao rose from the luxurious cushion where he sat to stop Poppy from pacing. He held her hands in his. He had never wanted to hurt his beloved daughter, but he had when he ignored how capable the child was. He accepted the possibility that there could be no forgiveness for that unkindness. His concern now was to comfort his wife. He knew she would live in sorrow if Toph could not find forgiveness for them.

"I do not know, my love. If not today, then I will carry the hope that she will one day forgive us." Lao held his wife until she had regained her composure.

Then suddenly, there she was. Toph, accompanied by the venerable General Iroh of the Fire Nation, stood in the doorway of the audience chamber. They stared at her for a moment in stunned disbelief. She looked like something out of a vision in her pale green hanfu. She looked so mature and confident, so unlike the child they had raised.

Poppy took a timid step towards Toph. Toph's expression remained blank even as Poppy gently stroked her daughter's cheek.

"Toph," Poppy started, then began to choke on her words. Toph could feel her mother trembling. "Toph, we are so sorry." Poppy finally uttered as she embraced her daughter. Toph, surprised by the show of emotion, returned the embrace with cry of pure joy. "Please, I beg you to forgive us for how we treated you."

"Yes! Just please don't hate me for leaving," Toph begged. Then she heard her father's soothing voice.

"We could never hate you Toph. We drove you to leaving. The fault is our burden to endure."

"Then," she said with a sniffle, pulling away from her mother, "you're not disappointed in me?"

"Disa-," Lao started. "Toph, you are our one treasure, we could never be disappointed in you. More than that, you helped save us all! What kind of father would I be if I could not be proud of what you did for the world?"

As all the fears melted away, Toph rushed to her father's welcoming arms. She had hoped for the best but expected the worst. Never in her whole life could she have guessed that this would be the welcome she received.

"We love you, Toph, so very much."

With his gentle words, her heart felt ready to burst.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: I am overwhelmed by the reviews I have already received for my first chapter. Not even up for a day and already my story has been read! I am so grateful for the feedback and the kind, encouraging words.<p>

You may be confused about Lin's involvement. I wrote her into this chapter as a way to introduce her and as a way to help Toph realize an important lesson. She will become more important later, I promise.

I felt so torn about how to write the reaction from Toph's parents. I have read other fanfics that showed them as merely aloof or even downright cruel. But as I rewatched their episode, I realized that they were indeed gentle people. I wanted a happy reunion for Toph, so I hope you enjoy!

Thank you all for reading my work.

-Ravyn


	3. Chapter 3

Toph's reunion with her family had felt like a dream. Walking through the old, familiar garden of the estate and talking openly and honestly with her parents as they walked was more than she could've hoped for. Toph regaled them with storied of teaching the Avatar, running from the Fire Nation, even her antics that lead up to her sending a message home. Lao was delighted to inform her that the letter had changed his view of her. After reading it, he no longer believed that the Avatar had kidnapped her. What kind of kidnapper would let his prisoner send a letter? Toph had questioned why he never wrote back. Lao had wanted to send a response, but he realized that with the group constantly on the move, the messenger hawk would not likely be able to find them. Katara must have realized this as well, for in the letter she asked Toph's parents to watch after Hawky until one of them could return to claim him. Satisfied with how things had worked out, Toph continued her story of heroics.

She had done her best to keep some of the more dangerous details to a minimum to spare her mother the shock, especially when it came to the battle on the airships. Remembering that day still brought chills to her. Hanging desperately from Sokka's wrenched arm, the sound of the guards sounding them, her grasp slipping…

"_It looks like this is the end…"_

Sokka's words echoed through her mind over and over. In that moment, she had truly believed that she was going to die. She didn't regret sacrificing herself for the cause, but she did regret leaving so much in her life incomplete. She did not want to die with those regrets.

But Suki had managed to turn around another airship to save them! All three of them had survived that battle and now she was free to resolve those regrets, to do the things in life that made it worth living.

"The day is really getting away from us. Maybe we should retire for lunch." Iroh suggested, breaking her thoughts briefly. Knowing Iroh, he probably recognized the pain in her soul and changed the subject. The diversion only worked momentarily. As they walked back to the house, Toph's mind wandered back to the battle. Neither she nor any of her friends had come out of their battles without being changed in some way. She was only 12 but she wasn't a child anymore. She didn't know what she was...

Lunch was served, but she hardly touched her food. She hardly even noticed her parents talking until her father touched her hand.

"Toph, are you well?" Lao asked, concerned. Toph snapped out of her daze and stood.

"I think I need to be alone," she responded as she started to leave.

"But-," Poppy interjected until Iroh cut her off.

"No, my Lady," Iroh said in Toph's defense. "I am certain that Toph intended no disrespect. I believe that what Toph is feeling is not something that can be explained with words alone. Only those who have faced death can truly understand that pain."

Toph nodded and left them to their meal. She went back outside to sit by the koi pond under the shade of a pink dogwood tree. There was something reassuring about sitting on the sun-baked stone beside the trickling waters. It must have been that the sound of the water, the warmth of the dappled sunlight, and the gentle breeze reminded her of Katara, Zuko, and Aang. To complete the reminiscing, she removed the space-earth bracelet to think of Sokka. As she began to bend the bracelet like a piece of clay, she began to feel the inner peace that put distance between her and the memories of that battle. It felt like her friends were with her giving her strength.

"You're going to tell me I should tell my parents," she said as she could feel Iroh approach some time later.

"That would not be unwise. I noticed that you held back in your stories to them. They may not understand what you feel, but they will not understand who you really are now if they do not know what happened." Toph responded with a nod as she bended the bracelet back onto her wrist. As she stood, Iroh continued. "You do not need to tell them right away if you are not ready."

"Why put it off? It's not like waiting will make it easier," she said while she went back to the house.

"Do you want me to stay?" Iroh asked quietly before they reached Toph's parents.

"No, I think I'm alright. It might scare them, but I'm not afraid they'll shun me for it." Iroh followed Toph back to the dining hall to dismiss himself.

"My honorable hosts, I have deeply enjoyed the pleasure of your company, but I believe Toph wishes to speak to you in private. So for now I will return to the inn."

"You will always be a welcomed guest in this home. We thank you for escorting Toph home and hope that you will share another meal with us before you return to Ba Sing Se." Lao said warmly.

"I am grateful for the invitation and humbly look forward to it." Iroh replied. The two men bowed to each other and Iroh left. Lao guided his wife and daughter to the common room adjacent to the bedrooms. They made themselves comfortable and Toph told them what had happened. She revealed everything from the journey. She didn't leave out a single detail.

* * *

><p>Toph awoke once again to the sound of Lin knocking at her door. She growled and flopped around in her bed, hiding under the blanket. With another knock, Lin entered the room and set breakfast on the table.<p>

"Will you be needing my assistance dressing for the day?" Lin asked, opening the drapes. From under the blanket came a simple and muffled reply.

"No."

"Would you like-,"

"Go away!"

It had been obvious last night when Toph came back to the inn that something was bothering her, even more so now. Iroh had not told Lin what had happened, but then again it was not his business to say anything nor was it her business to be informed. Curiosity itched at the woman.

"Toph, did something happen yesterday?" she asked with genuine concern.

"I said, go away!" Toph yelled. In response, Lin pulled up a chair and sat waiting for Toph to cooperate.

"I'm not going anywhere," Lin answered stubbornly.

"Didja think that maybe I'm not a morning person? Go away!" Lin considered this for only a moment before pulling the blanket off of Toph.

"It's time to get up," she said to a furious Toph, returning the chair to the small table where breakfast waited growing cold. Toph sat up angrily, her disheveled bun throwing her hair around her face.

"And if I don't want to?" Toph spat, almost daring Lin to do something.

"Look, I'm sure you've gotten quite used to people stepping carefully around you, but I will not. We all have to do things we may not want to do! Do you really think I'm stuck in the Earth Kingdom looking after a spoiled brat because I want to? Now sit down and eat your breakfast!"

Toph flopped out of bed and complied with Lin's demand, but only because her stomach had decided to growl at the most inopportune moment. But Toph did not hesitate to sit at the table in the most unladylike way possible and with as much anger as she could muster. She was angriest of all that Lin was right- she had grown accustomed to people tip-toeing around her because of her blindness. As much as she hated it, she was used to people giving in to her.

Lin removed the jade comb from Toph's hair and proceeded to comb her hair rather aggressively. Toph could not stand this woman, and yet Lin had showed something she had never seen before: complete indifference to her blindness. For the first time ever, Toph was being treated as a normal girl and she could not stand it.

"So, how was yesterday?" Lin said, trying to deflate Toph's mood. "Did you enjoy seeing your parents again?"

"It was ok," Toph said with a shrug, "until I kind of confessed some stuff… And then they stopped talking to me."

"What did you tell them?" Lin said, letting Toph's hair hang loose while she ate. In the meantime, Lin started picking up the hanfu that Toph had left strewn about.

"Just stuff. I think I scared them," Toph answered with a mouthful of food. She was actually surprised when Lin did not try to strike her again.

"I have found that self pity is never an endearing quality." Lin smoothed out the delicate silk and folded it neatly.

Toph had finally had enough. She stood, toppling her chair, and faced Lin aggressively.

"What's your problem?"

"What's my problem? You're the one who's been completely antagonistic!" Lin said defensively.

"Yeah, but you're… You..." Toph started, searching for the right thing to say.

"I'm what, correct? Be honest, try to tell me what I said is untrue and I'll leave." Lin was calm and unaffected by Toph's aggression. Toph rushed out of her room in a rage, running to the next room where Iroh sat eating his own breakfast.

"Uncle, why did you bring Lin?

"Having a difficult time?" Iroh said with some amusement. He had known that for Toph, dealing with Lin would be like dealing with her reflection.

"She's… a pain!"

"Mmmm, I know, I could hear everything. The two of you were quite loud." Iroh said with a nod.

"She's so… I'm making her leave!" Toph stated firmly, expecting Iroh to give some long-winded reason why Lin should stay.

"That is your decision."

"Wait, what?" Toph asked, so confused.

"You may not understand at this moment, but Lin has been around long enough to make an important point. She has served her purpose. If you now wish her to leave, then she will leave."

Toph was so confused, utterly baffled. She stood there for a moment, not know how to respond.

"So, she'll leave, just like that?" Toph asked, so unsure.

"Just like that." Iroh assured her.

"Huh…"

Iroh watched Toph stand there in complete bemusement. It was almost amusing watching the little expressions she didn't realize she was making.

"So, I was surprised to see you return to the inn last night."

"Huh?" Toph was still so confused that the sudden change in subject was jarring.

"Everything was going so well before I left, I thought you would stay in your old room."

"Oh?" Toph was having a hard time adjusting. She was still so angry with Lin and confused with Iroh. "Well, things didn't go so well after you left."

"How much did you tell your parents?" he asked, concerned.

"Everything. It was so hard feeling their fear. They couldn't even speak to me when I was done. My mother was shaking."

"Toph," Iroh said, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder in comfort, "they will not stay that way for long. They love you. It will just take a little time."

"Yeah, I know," she said, touching the hand on her shoulder gently.

"You should go finish your breakfast and get dressed," Iroh suggested. Toph blushed lightly. This had not been the first time he had seen her in her sleeping clothes, but this was the first time that mentioning it had made her embarrassed.

"Yeah, I'll do that…" she said as she returned to her room.

Lin was still there. Toph stiffened and sat down to continue eating. Lin retrieved Toph's comb and put up her hair.

"I'm not going to apologize," Toph blurted out stubbornly.

"It never crossed my mind that you would." Lin roughly inserted the comb into Toph's hair to hold it in place making Toph wince.

"I don't expect you to apologize either."

"Why should I? I have no reason to. Besides, I can still do my job just fine without apologies or talking." Toph could do nothing but grunt. She agreed that not talking would be preferable, and yet she could not keep her mouth shut.

"I hate you."

"That's fine. I don't need you to like me to do my job either," Lin responded snidely. Then she sighed. She realized the banter would just escalate to another argument so she decided to get to the point quickly. "You're not a child anymore, Toph. You need to grow up." Then she left.

Toph stopped eating and thought on what Lin said.

'Only 12 and not a child. What am I,' she thought, then hurriedly put on her traveling clothes. 'I'm not a child…' She threw an extra traveling outfit in her bag and an outfit Iroh got her for bending practice. 'It's time to grow up!'

She rushed back to Iroh's room. She was nearly panting.

"It's time for me to grow up, Uncle. I'm leaving." This had not been the reaction Iroh was expecting. He stood, but she would not let him speak. "I don't understand why I have to this, I just know that I do. Please tell my parents not to worry."

"Toph, are you really certain about this?"

"Yes, more than anything else in my life," she answered with resolve after carefully considering the question.

"Then I will tell your parents. Just promise to find a way to send us messages. Let us know that you are doing well."

"I promise," she said with a smile. Iroh gathered her up in a hug. Not wanting to linger, she pulled away from his grasp, flung her bag over her shoulder, and walked away.

* * *

><p>She was about an hour outside of Gaoling when she felt someone approaching. Once close enough, she could feel that it was Lin running towards her.<p>

"Toph," Lin said, panting.

"What do you want?" Toph wasn't in the mood to continue fighting; she just wanted to keep walking.

"Iroh sent me," Lin answered trying to catch her breath.

"Why? The idea of leaving was to do this alone!"

"I know, But Iroh wanted me to give you this," Lin said as she handed over a small pouch. "He realized after you left that you didn't have any money. Or camping gear."

"I don't really need camping gear," Toph answered, taking the money.

"He was also worried about you being alone right now. Not because he thinks you can't handle it. Obviously, he is confident that you can! But he said that right now, the world isn't safe. There is much unrest. It's too dangerous to go alone. Besides, I can read maps if there is any place you are interested in going."

Toph sighed, defeated.

"You wouldn't leave if I told you to?"

"Only if you insisted, and I would comply with a lot of complaining. Then I would probably follow you at a distance since Iroh asked me as a personal favor."

'A personal favor? Jeez, that man knows how to grind my nerves…" Toph thought as she weighted which outcome would be easier to deal with.

"Fine," she finally answered, "but don't slow me down!" After a pause, she added, "And I still hate you!"

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Wow! I kind of surprised myself with this chapter. I did want Toph to travel around the world, but I had kind of hoped to put that off for a couple more chapters. Apparently, Toph didn't want to wait!<p>

As always, I would greatly appreciate feedback. Let me know what you think.

-Ravyn


	4. Chapter 4

"Sit still or this will take longer and hurt more!" Lin scolded Toph as she rinsed the rag in the shallow creek. Toph pouted for a moment then braced herself, waiting. Lin started scrubbing furiously. Toph held her breath. She didn't utter a peep to indicate the pain she was in.

Toph's foot rested in Lin's lap, bleeding from Lin's vigorous scrubbing. Toph couldn't sit still. She couldn't stand other people handling her feet and the painful, cracked blisters didn't help her opinion on the matter.

"I can't believe you walked your feet raw, Toph. I thought you would have had more sense than that."

"It's not like I wanted this to happen. I thought I could make it to the next town. Besides, I've never had this problem before," Toph admitted between gasps.

"I'm seeing burn scars. That could prevent calluses to form that would otherwise protect your feet. One wrong step and suddenly you've got a hole in your foot," Lin reasoned dryly.

"Ooooh, yeah… How could I forget about that?"

Once Lin was certain that Toph's foot was sufficiently clean, she rubbed in a salve she made from herbs she found in the chilly mountain forest. Toph made a mild 'Eep' sound at the sting of the salve, but tolerated it with a grimace. Lin bound Toph's foot, leaving her toes exposed. Then she cleaned the salve from between Toph's toes. Toph had been complaining about the greasy feeling all day, so Lin thought to solve the problem before Toph complained about it again.

"Do you want me to work on your other foot now or do you want to wait a moment?" Lin asked, concerned about Toph's threshold for pain.

"Let's go ahead and get this done," Toph answered as she drew her foot from Lin's lap and replaced it with the other foot. Lin rinsed the rag to start working on the other foot.

"Sorry I have to be so rough, I just need to be sure that it's clean," Lin said as she started scrubbing.

"No, I get it." Toph wanted to launch the woman across the mountain, but she did understand that her feet were dirty and that dirt would not help her feet heal any faster.

They sat in silence by the creek as Lin cleaned, treated, and bound Toph's other foot. Toph was anxious to get this done so they could return to the campfire and she could get something to eat.

"So, how did you burn your feet?" Lin asked as she finished cleaning up the remnants of salve between Toph's toes.

"Um, you've heard about how Zuko joined our group, right?"

"Yes, the Prince rejected the Fire Lord during the Day of Black Sun after which the Fire Lord re-issued a banishment of his son. There were rumors he had joined the Avatar, but there was no way for us to know anything until after the war was over and the Prince was crowned." Lin patted Toph's foot gently. Toph pulled back her foot. Lin gathered her supplies as Toph continued.

"Well, I had never been chased by Zuko. He stopped chasing Aang around the time I joined the group. I didn't like Zuko, but it was less personal for me. So when Zuko came to us after the Day of Black Sun, I was able to think rationally about his offer to become Aang's Fire Bending teacher." Lin helped Toph to her feet and they started back towards the campsite, Toph leaning on Lin to lessen the weight on her feet. "With the failure of our attack, we knew it was more important than ever for Aang to learn Fire Bending. They still made Zuko leave. I snuck away to go see him about it, but I must have startled him because he threw fire at me. I threw some rocks at him and crawled back to the temple. Katara was able to work on my feet, but it had taken me a while to get back to them so some of the damage couldn't be fixed."

"So, he burned your feet and then you just accept him into the group?" Lin asked skeptically as she helped Toph hobble around the campfire and take a seat. Lin put her supplies away and stirred the bean soup that bubbled in a little pot on the fire.

"Well, no. I understood that it was an accident and I felt that his apology was sincere, but what turned everything around was when Zuko helped defend us against an assassin. It was ironic that Zuko had hired the assassin before joining us, but what's water under a bridge?"

Lin laughed an infectious laugh that brought a smile to Toph's face. The story was amusing in hindsight.

"Thank you for taking care of my feet," Toph said genuinely as Lin placed a bowl of soup in her hands.

"Thank you for letting me," answered Lin. "I don't know you as well as I would like, but I think I understand how you are about your feet. Things could have gone very badly if you had refused to let me touch them."

Toph didn't want to admit it, but she had come to depend on Lin for many things. Lin kept track of their route on the map and alerted Toph when there were obstacles ahead. Lin made meals and kept the fire going, which was no surprised since she was a Fire Bender after all. And Lin noticed when Toph's pace had slowed over the mountain pass. She had also noticed the trail of blood Toph was leaving in her wake. And it wasn't like Toph had Katara to heal her feet; she had to show some trust in Lin.

"You have nice hands," Toph said shyly, as if that were the reason she let Lin handle her feet. Lin felt a pull towards Toph, like she was an annoying little sister.

Or maybe what Lin saw was that Toph was a younger version of herself.

* * *

><p>Toph awoke the next morning to the sounds of Lin's usual morning routine. After practicing her bending forms, Lin would make rice porridge and start gathering their belongings to start traveling. Only today, she did not gather their things. It took a moment to remember that they would not be traveling, to let her feet rest.<p>

After setting the rice to boil on the fire, Lin sat on her bedroll. Toph could hear paper, but it was not the same crinkle as the map. Toph sat up, still in her half sleep daze.

"How are your feet?" Lin asked. It took a few minutes for the question to reach Toph's brain.

"Mmmmm, ok, I guess. Ask me again later." Toph felt around herself.

"Are you looking for something?"

"My water skin, did you move it?"

"Oh, yes!" Lin jumped up to grab the missing water skin that she had left with her own water skin. "I'm sorry, I refilled it after you went to sleep."

Lin held out the water skin, but Toph did not take it. She knew that Toph was blind, but her Earth Sight usually gave her enough detail to take something handed to her. Toph did not even acknowledge that Lin was even there.

"Toph, are you ok?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Toph reached out for the water skin and Lin placed it in her hand. "I'm just really fuzzy today."

"Fuzzy tired, fuzzy sick, or fuzzy bending?" Lin asked. Toph was surprised by the genuine concern not only in Lin's voice but also in her vibrations.

"I think just fuzzy tired."

"But you will let me know if you are not well?" Lin continued. "We are very much alone out here and I don't want you to get ill when we are so far from a town."

"Yes, I will tell you if I get sick. I don't want a repeat of my feet."

Lin was glad that the message was finally getting through to Toph. Toph, on the other had, just wanted some time to wake up without all this talking. She heard Lin messing with paper again, then more silence. After a while, Lin served up the rice porridge, which they ate in continued silence. After they were done, Lin disappeared to the creek to clean up the dishes while Toph started bending small rocks together in her hands. When Lin returned, Toph heard the paper again. It wasn't until Toph could feel the sun high in the sky before she finally broke the silence.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading a book," Lin replied softly

"Oh." Toph felt awkward. Books and Toph did not get along. There was another long stretch of silence before Toph spoke again. "What's it about?"

"It's about a great warrior that learned how to bend fire by watching the great dragons. When he taught fire bending to his people, he became the first Fire Lord."

"Oh. It is any good?" Toph continued to bend the rocks in her hand. She began to form various shapes and putting them together.

"Well, I think so. The story is engaging and heroic. I enjoy the narrative and the illustrations are quite good."

Another long span of silence passed between the two. Lin kept reading and Toph kept bending. After a while, Toph stopped bending and put down her rocks.

"I thought that the Sun Warriors were the first to learn Fire Bending. At least, that's what Zuko said." She was careful in choosing her words. Aang and Zuko were supposed to keep the existence of the Sun Warriors a secret.

"This is true. This story is a fiction told to our people for generations as history." Lin was surprised that Toph knew the truth of the Sun Warriors. It made sense. She was traveling with her Lord Zuko when he taught the Avatar.

"Then why are you reading it if it's a lie."

"Because there are some half-truths in there that the Fire Lords of generations past have used to manipulate our people. Since Fire Lord Zuko revealed that much of our history is a lie, I have been rereading some of my old books to see where the truth ends and the lies begin," Lin explained.

"Why?"

"Because it helps me to learn something about our past and why we threw ourselves into such a senseless war."

"Oh. That's a good reason," Toph answered after some consideration. Toph heard a soft chuckle from Lin. She certainly did have an interesting way of viewing the world. Toph thought it was refreshing.

After a while, Lin and Toph shared some jerky and some appleberries for lunch. Toph had been thinking about what Lin said about learning from the lies. Then she started to think about the lies and half-truths she told herself. There was still so much for her to learn.

"Lin," she finally spoke up, "would you read your book to me." Lin was shocked by the request and remained silent. "If you don't want to I-"

"No, I do! I do. Your request just caught me off guard."

Lin flipped through the book to the first page. She took a deep breath before starting, appreciating the growth that Toph just demonstrated.

"_In the days of the Old Kings, there was a warrior. Valliant and brave, he served his master with honor and pride…"_

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Sorry it took me a little while to get this chapter out. As these things go, life kind of gets in the way. I'm also sorry it is a bit short. I had to write and rewrite this a few times to get the tone of it right. I may expand on it later, but for now I feel satisfied with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it!<p>

And thanks to everyone for their support and feedback! I feel so lucky to have such great advice!

-Ravyn


	5. Chapter 5

Toph was glad to be traveling again. Sitting still for so long had about driven her mad. The only break from the monotony had been her new pastime of sculpting rocks with her bending. Her first finished piece was a new jar for the salve that Lin used on her feet. The jar was sturdier than the current salve jar and was decorated with swirls of quartz. Lin had said it was beautiful. And then there was Lin's book. Toph would have never admitted it, but she loved the sound of Lin's voice as she read aloud. The sound of Lin reading was often the last thing Toph heard when she fell asleep at night. There was something so comforting her voice.

But Toph had not left Gaoling to sculpt or listen to Lin read. She had left to travel, which she was pleased to be doing once again. It was slow going at first. Her feet were still tender so they had to stop frequently for the first couple of days. Toph complained about not being able to feel much through the bandages, but she tolerated it out of necessity. The worst part was that she could not bend with her feet. Lin insisted she couldn't even do light stomps to get a good 'look' of her surroundings. It drove Toph batty. It wasn't like there was a need, but Toph couldn't stand the idea of not being able to bend. It also meant that she had to rely on queues from Lin more often to ensure that the terrain was safe. But they were moving forward and that somehow made the inconveniences worth it.

"Watch your footing, Toph. There are loose rocks ahead."

After weeks of traveling through the mountain heights east of Gaoling, they were finally descending the other side. Toph placed her footing carefully in reaction to Lin's warning.

"I feel it…"

As much as Toph loved the mountain, she could not wait to get off of it. The slow pace they maintained as a result of Toph's feet had kept them on the mountain for far too long. Both were ready to be back in a town where they could take a bath and get some rest. Lin had seen the town in the foothills, so it would not be much longer.

"I don't think we are making it off the mountain tonight," Lin said. Toph nodded. She could feel the sun's warmth fading away.

"Can you see a clearing for us to set up camp?"

"Yeah, I think I see a place a little further. We should hurry, it's getting dark," Lin said as she surveyed ahead of them. Normally, darkness would not have been a problem between the two benders, but without solid footing and Toph's diminished Earth Sight they didn't want to take any chances Lin would miss something in the darkness. They quickened their pace until Toph felt a firm, level clearing beneath her feet.

"Is this it?" she asked.

"Yeah," Lin confirmed. "Sit and rest your feet while I get firewood."

Toph tossed aside her pack and sat as she felt Lin remove her pack and wander off to get wood. Using her hands, Toph pounded a fire pit into the ground and then waited, massaging her feet. She hated waiting. She wanted to do something. She just wanted to go!

As she waited, Toph heard rocks tumbling further down the mountainside. She heard the groan of a tree falling and breaking. She heard another groan that did not come from a tree. She jumped to her feet as she listened. She heard a moan. It was a male voice.

"Lin!" she cried out as she started running towards the sound of the muffled moans. "Lin, hurry!"

Toph's feet burned at the force and speed of her gait, but in return the vibrations assured her solid footing as she ran down the mountainside and found a rockslide with a felled tree. She slid to a halt at the rockslide where she could feel a body facedown underneath the rubble. With a swift slide of a foot, she took her bending stance. She could feel his heartbeat below the rocks.

"Lin!"

She could not hear or feel Lin. She wanted to wait if she could so she would not have to use her bending, but she was concerned for the life under the rocks. The heart rate below her feet was starting to struggle under the weight. She could not wait. With a stomp and a sweep of her hands, she was able to cause a wave in the rocks to roll the tree off of the rockslide. Almost immediately, the heart rate calmed. She slid a foot and some of the loose rocks slid away. She heard a gasp as the form was able to break free of the blanket of rocks and bring his head up for a breath.

"H-help," he said weakly. Toph could 'see' him reach of for her. She ran to his side and took his hand.

"I'm here," she assured him. She could feel Lin approaching.

"Toph, what's hap-" Lin started. She stopped short when she saw the man trapped under the rockslide. "Oh dear Spirits!"

"Lin, I think his other arm is broken. It's twisted under the rocks."

Lin and Toph switched places; Lin taking the man's hand and Toph resumed her bending stance. She chose her moves carefully to minimize damage unearthing him. With a series of stomps, sweeps, and hand motions, the rocks broke apart and slid away. Lin rolled the man over and examined the left arm that had been trapped under the rubble.

"Yeah, his arm is broken," Lin assessed. "Toph, go get my kit!"

Toph ran back up the hill to the campsite. She furiously dug through Lin's pack to find a leather roll with first-aid supplies. It had been hard to find, but she knew its unique texture once her hand touched it. She rushed back to the rockslide. She could feel Lin returning as well. Lin carried sticks for a splint.

"Kenji, stay with me," Lin said. Toph assumed Lin was able to talk some information out of the man. He muttered something unintelligible trying to stay awake. Lin took the kit from Toph. "Hold him down, I need to set his arm."

Toph knelt on Kenji's shoulder to keep him still while Lin unrolled the kit to retrieve the bandages. She could feel Lin pull on his forearm and the sickening pop of bone against bone. Kanji yelled in pain. Lin bound the splint to his forearm and then nudged Toph to release his shoulder. She moved back as Lin moved to check Kenji's head. The man had a wicked knot on the back of his head, but she didn't felt any deeper damage. Lin rolled her kit and stuck it in her belt.

"Ok, Toph, help me get him up to the campsite."

Both took an arm over their shoulder and dragged the nearly unconscious man back to the campsite. Once he was laid out, Lin worked to finish the campfire so she could see him better. Toph felt so lost. She didn't know how to help. She sat by the campfire 'watching' Lin check Kenji's arm then proceeded to check the rest of his body for more injuries. Toph suddenly realized how much her feet hurt. She started to rub them only to feel that they were soaked. She brought her moistened fingers to her nose. Sure enough, it smelled of blood. She began to unwrap her feet. She trembled at the feeling of the rough linen bandages and dried salve being peeled from her feet. She heard Lin stop working with Kenji.

"Oh, Toph…" The softness of Lin's voice touched Toph deeply.

"I didn't mean to be so rough on my feet. I tried to wait for you, I swear, but I could feel his heart…" she whimpered. Her hands shook as she removed the last of the bandages. She could feel Lin's hands steady her own.

"It's ok. You did the right thing," Lin assured Toph. Lin looked over Toph's feet. "This isn't good, though." Toph swallowed hard.

"Will he be ok?" she asked. Lin hesitated, wondering why Toph wasn't more concerned about her own injuries.

"He's asleep for now, but I think he will be ok," Lin said as she dribbled water from her water skin onto Toph's feet. There was no water nearby, so she had to ration the water she used.

"Then it was worth it." Lin stared at Toph in amazement of her selfless attitude. "It just sucks that we will be grounded again. I was enjoying the walk," Toph added with a quirky smile as she tried to hide the pain.

"I'm sorry, Toph," Lin said as she reached into her kit for bandages and salve.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not like you forced me to use my bending."

"That doesn't mean I can't feel sympathy. You need stitches. I can't do that."

Toph's lip trembled in fear of what Lin said and in response to the salve. Toph appreciated Lin's gentleness and the way she did not judge her. Toph pushed down the fear and pain, and smiled. She would bear this. She would not be a burden to Lin.

"It's worth it if Kenji's fine."

* * *

><p>Toph hardly slept. Her feet throbbed so intensely she could not eat or sleep. Lin listened to Toph writhing in her shallow sleep through the night. Lin wished she could make the pain go away. She really had come to care for Toph like a sister. But when Toph woke the next morning, she acted as if nothing was wrong. She ate very little of the rice porridge that Lin made, but otherwise acted as if there was no pain at all. Lin was concerned with Toph's sudden desire to hide her pain. There wasn't much she could do about it at this point, so she kept her concerns to herself.<p>

Kenji, on the other hand, had slept well through the night. His head was fuzzy from the knock his skull had taken, but was otherwise fine. His broken arm barely hurt. He explained that he was on his way up the mountain on an errand for the local healer. The woman needed some herbs but could not make it up the mountain herself. So to pass the time, Lin gathered the herbs. Kenji and Toph sat quietly waiting for Lin to return.

"So…" Kenji started, trying to break the silence.

"Yup," Toph replied. She was so bored she wanted to bang her head against the earth. Doing so might have actually distracted her from her feet.

"Kenji," he said to introduce himself.

"Yup. Heard Lin say your name last night."

"Oh. And you?"

"Toph."

"Toph? As in Toph the war hero?" Kenji asked excitedly.

"Yup. That's me."

"Wow, it's an honor!"

"Not really," she said dismissively. With her feet throbbing so badly, she certainly didn't feel like any kind of hero. Kenji was disappointed by how lackluster his experience was meeting an actual war hero.

The silence had returned and was becoming unbearable for the both of them. Kenji looked around trying to think of something to say. Toph just wanted something to distract her. Lin offered the distraction when she returned.

"Toph, I found some herbs that should help you feel better!" she said enthusiastically. She poured some water into a pan and set it on the fire to make an herbal infusion for Toph. She handed over the herbs that were intended for the town healer to Kenji. The rest she set by the fire. While she waited for the water to boil, she unwrapped Toph's felt. Her wrappings had become caked with blood. Kenji had not noticed earlier and was now shocked to see the state of Toph's feet.

"What in the world happened?" Toph hated the pity she heard in his voice.

"She walked her feet raw. Bending you out of the rockslide opened the blisters," Lin said flatly. She didn't want to sound like she was blaming Kenji, but she could not ignore the fact that Toph's feet would not be this bad if she had not been so rough on her feet while saving him.

"I'm- I'm so sorry!"

"I don't want your pity," Toph shot back at him. The pain in her feet overwhelmed what little Earth Sight she had and yet she could still feel Kenji staring at her. "Don't stare at me," she said after a long pause. She heard him shift, she assumed so that he was no longer looking at her.

"Toph, don't be so rude. He didn't mean anything by it," Lin scolded as she wrapped clean bandages around Toph's feet. Toph kept her head hung low. She was not going to apologize for her outburst. Lin decided to not push the issue.

Lin heard the water boiling over the fire. She added some of the herbs and let them steep while she dug a cup out of her pack. When the brew was done, she poured some in a cup and gently placed it in Toph's hands.

"Here, this will help with the pain. I'm sorry if it is bitter."

Kenji watched as Toph sipped the herbal infusion. He could barely see her face hidden behind her dark fringe, but it was hard to miss the grimace she made. The brew must have tasted awful, but she drank the rest of it anyway. The brew was more potent than intended; she started to sway. He watched Lin take the cup and gently lower Toph to the ground where she promptly fell asleep.

It was evident there was a bond between Lin and Toph, which surprised him. It was hard to believe anyone could be a friend with someone so rough around the edges. Lin was not rough. Despite showing signs weariness from travel, her clothes were still tidy and her hair well kept. She wore a traditional cheongsam from Ba Sing Se but he could tell she was Fire Nation from her amber eyes and the topknot in her brown hair.

"Are you feeling any pain?" Lin asked, snapping him out of his trance. He ran his free hand through his black hair and gazed back at her with his piercing green eyes.

"No, I think I'm ok." Lin nodded in acknowledgement and poured her brew into a vial to save it for later. She threw out the remnants of the herbs started to make a new salve for Toph. Kenji couldn't stop watching her. Without looking up from her work, she spoke.

"Do you need something?"

"Hm? Oh, no," he said, looking away to hide his blush. He looked over at Toph.

"Did she really walk her feet raw? Isn't she supposed to be some sort of Earth Bending master? I would have thought she would have good bending feet."

"She has excellent bending feet, but she is still recovering from recent injuries that compromised her feet." She intentionally kept her answer short. It was not her place to tell him what happened to Toph. She looked over at Toph. Even with the tincture helping the pain and allowing her to sleep, Toph's slumber was fitful.

"We heard rumors that she is blind. Is that true?"

"You could not tell by looking at her? She makes no attempt to hide it," Lin answered, returning to her work. "And who is 'we'?" she asked after a pause.

"Oh, I was a trainee at Ba Sing Se. We were training to be Dai Li. My master never got a chance to fight against her, so he could not tell me if the rumor was true."

Lin was troubled by his answer. Not only was he a member of the group that betrayed the King of Ba Sing Se and brought down the walls, but also he spoke as if it had been an honor to fight opposite the Avatar and his friends. She considered the strange twist of fate that his statement offended her despite being Fire Nation.

"You would do well to keep your association with the Dai Li to yourself," she said protectively. "I do not know how she feels about the Dai Li, but if I had to guess then it's unlikely you would appreciate her reaction."

Kenji felt ready to kick himself for not realizing how stupid his hero-worship sounded after admitting he was Dai Li.

"I'm sorry, it is an awkward position. But we were just following orders." He wanted to defend himself, but his explanation felt so inadequate.

"If it were any of my business, I would say orders were irrelevant. But it is not my business, so I am saying nothing." Her disapproval was cold. It still felt so strange to her that she should point out such a fault. Her people had started the war. If anyone was at fault, it was the Fire Nation. Why was she now suddenly the voice of reason?

"I never finished my training, so I can't speak to the end result, but I can tell you about its intent. The point was to brainwash the trainees, to remove the individual and leave a part of a whole. I know it's no excuse, but if it comes up then she should know there is a reason."

Lin looked up at Kenji. It was true that there was no excuse for the way the Dai Li betrayed the Earth Kingdom much the same way there was no excuse for the Fire Nation to wage a war for 100 years, but reasons and explanations were different than excuses. Not only that, she could not blame Kenji for the betrayal any more than he could blame her for the war. She doubted that Toph would share in this wisdom, at least not right away.

"If you feel it's necessary to bring it up, then chose your timing carefully. She has strong opinions and voices them loudly and often violently. Just be careful," Lin advised. Lin finished making the new salve and put it into the new jar that Toph had made for her. She put her first aid kit and various supplies away. She looked back at Toph. She was still for a moment, but Lin wondered how long it would last. Lin looked at Kenji.

"Let me know when you are well enough to travel. We will leave when you are ready to go."

"I think I'm ok now. My head is still fuzzy, but I feel confident I can make it to the village. Will Toph be able to make it down the incline?" Kenji wondered how they were going to get the sleeping Toph down the hill. Even if she were awake, he honestly didn't know if she could be able to walk with her feet so damaged.

"I will carry her. Her feet require attention I cannot provide so I don't want to wait around for her to be able to walk. If you don't mind carrying our packs then we can get moving now."

"I think I can manage. I could try carrying her if you want."

"She is my responsibility," Lin said very simply as she found a blanket in her pack and ripped off long strips. She secured the rest of their belongings in the packs and turned to Toph. With Kenji's help, she got Toph on her back and used the torn blanket to secure the limp Toph to her back. Kenji shouldered both packs without any trouble. With a wave of Lin's hand, the fire in the pit died then they started down the mountain to the town that lay below.

* * *

><p>Toph wasn't aware of much. She was aware she was no longer on the ground. She was aware they were moving. She heard voices, but she could not make anything out. She could feel sun, but could not determine any passage of time. She remembered waking and an unfamiliar hand tilting her head back and giving her a bitter liquid and then water. Then there was nothing.<p>

Toph didn't remember waking up. Without a connection to the earth to feel things around her, she had trouble discerning the difference between awake and the dreams. To her, it was all the same darkness, but she could tell the difference between dream earth and real earth.

Her feet felt different. They still hurt, but something was different. She wiggled her feet. There was strange tugging sensation across the soles. It must have been the stitches Lin said she needed. She sat up, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the cot where she lay. She flexed her feet one more time before placing them on the floor. She was disappointed when she felt wood and not stone. She tried to put weight on her feet, but groaned at the sensation. She heard a startled intake of breath.

"Toph? Oh good, you're awake," she heard Lin say in between yawns. Then she felt Lin's hand on her knee. "How are you feeling?"

"I dunno. Hungover? What's a hangover feel like?" Her head felt like it was in a vice.

"Sorry. The healer was trying to stitch your wounds and you kept fighting her-"

"Of course! You think I enjoy having strangers touching my feet?" Toph interjected.

"As understandable as that is, I didn't want you to hurt her or yourself, so I gave you more of the tea I gave you on the mountain. I was worried about how it would affect you since we had to dose you on the way here. I almost dropped you because you kept moving and then you freaked out." Lin withdrew her hand.

"Oh. I don't remember any of it," she said. She heard water pouring.

"It's ok, so don't worry about it. Oh, and if it makes you feel any better, the healer only did the stitching. I did everything else." Toph felt a cup in her hands.

"Yeah, it does make me feel better." She lifted the cup to her lips. She drank slowly at first and then greedily when she realized how thirsty she was. When her cup was empty, Lin refilled it. "So, how are my feet? Were they bad?"

"They were very bad, but I'm hopeful! You just need to take it easy for a while," Lin assured her. Toph finished off the water and handed the cup back to Lin.

"And Kenji?"

"He's doing well. He was really lucky."

"Good. So what now?"

"Well, sit back for a little while. I'll go get you something to eat and then we can see about getting a bath. How does that sound?"

"Really great, actually! I'm starving," Toph said enthusiastically.

Dinner was simple but palatable and the bath had to be shared between the two of them. Water, apparently, was not in abundance in the village. Toph found it mildly embarrassing to bathe with someone else, but at this point she was just glad to be clean. Afterwards, Lin helped Toph to a futon where she could sleep off the rest of her 'hangover'.

As Toph lay on the futon trying to coax herself back to sleep, she kept thinking about her feet. She was becoming increasingly worried about permanent damage. Lin had sounded so encouraging, but Toph was scared. She lived through her feet and they hurt so bad. She began to wonder if maybe she had done the right thing freeing Kenji from the rockslide. Was his life worth what she had done to her feet? What good was her life if she could not live or function? She struggled with her thoughts as she slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: This chapter will probably be altered a bit as I am not 100% satisfied with how it turned out. As always, I appreciate suggestions!<p>

-Ravyn


	6. Chapter 6

"May I sit with you?" Kenji asked as he approached the rock where Toph sat.

"You can try, but you'll lose a limb," she answered as she took a sip of her tea. She felt him move away and then hesitate. He was about the only one she could feel through her Earth Sight right now. As an Earth Bender, his vibrations were strong enough to get through to her.

"Have I done something to offend you?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. "You saved my life, but you've been nothing but abrasive to me since then."

"I'm not going to apologize for being me," she answered as she patted the rock as an invitation for him to sit. He complied. "I've been told that I'm nice once people get used to me. I've always thought of myself as a boarcupine. You can try to get close to me but any injuries you sustain are by default self inflicted."

"Then why are you and Lin so friendly?"

"Necessity, more than anything. We've been traveling together for a while now." Toph sipped her tea. "So, you wanted to say something?"

"Oh, yeah… I just wanted to thank you for saving my life."

"It was-," Toph tried to say 'no big deal' but it felt like a lie. "It was the right thing to do."

"Well, I'm forever in your debt, even more so given your current state. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"My feet have nothing to do with any debt you think you have with me and I really don't care if you repay it. I meant it when I said saving you was the right thing to do." Somehow, those words felt bitter in her mouth. She couldn't blame him for what happened, but at the same time she did question the choice she made. "I wasn't looking for a reward or anything."

"I never said you were, but I will find a way to repay that debt. Please, let me know if you need anything." Toph grunted in response. A silence fell between them that was almost palpable. Toph could feel a tension in him. She felt him lean in closer to her. She leaned away.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, but you really are blind!" Kenji had been examining her eyes. Toph hung her head.

"Yeah, so?" She started to get mad. This guy was so rude!

"It's just so… neat!"

"Am I hearing you right? You think blindness is neat?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, no. I didn't mean it like that…"

"How did you mean it, then?"

"Lin said you use your Bending to see. That's what I thought was neat," he answered quickly. "How do you do it?"

"Wow, you're nosey. I just do it." She didn't feel like going into detail, so that was all he was getting.

"What's it like?" he kept going. He was just so fascinated.

"What is what like?"

"Being blind."

"That's… I don't…" Toph huffed, unsure of how to answer the question. "It is what it is. I don't know anything else." She felt the familiarity of Lin approach. "Oh, thank goodness! Lin, make him stop asking me weird stuff!"

"Make him? If he's bothering you then I am surprised you didn't launch him into the air," Lin answered with a chuckle.

"My head still hurts. Besides, I need my feet to launch him," Toph answered matter-of-factly.

"Well, that explains a lot." She sat on the other side of Toph. "How do your feet feel?"

"They itch," Toph fumed.

"I can't help you there, little sister. But how is the pain?"

"It's still bad, but better than before." Toph didn't want to admit how bad they still were. She didn't want Lin to worry.

"As long as they are getting better, that's the important part." Lin got up and started to leave. Toph grabbed Lin's sleeve.

"Um, when's dinner?" Lin examined the grip that Toph had on her sleeve. Toph was trying to ask for help.

"If you're hungry I can get you a snack. Tamil said dinner wouldn't be for a while." Tamil was the healer who was housing Toph and Lin during their stay.

"Please," Toph said as she let go of Lin's sleeve. Lin left to get the snack. Toph tilted her head in Kenji's direction, allowing her long braid to fall from its resting place on her shoulder to rest against the rough linen kimono she wore.

"You like her," she said with a smug look.

"I what? No!" he sputtered.

"Oh, you so like her!" she persisted. She was amused that she could make him uncomfortable. "I could feel it on the mountain and I can feel it now! You're heart rate goes through the roof when she's around."

"You can't- I mean, no it doesn't!"

"Call me a liar. I dare you!" She could feel a wave of heat move through Kenji as he blushed. Then she felt Lin return. "Ooh, Lin! I know a secret. Guess what it is!"

Toph's sudden mood change and the deep blush on Kenji's face baffled Lin. She set down a tray of rice cakes and fresh tea.

"Guess what?"

"Come on! Guess guess guess guess guess guess guess!" Toph demanded excitedly.

"I have no clue where to even start guessing," she said as she handed over a packet with a powdered substance in it. As much as Toph may have wanted a snack, Lin knew this was what she really needed. "Here. You just need a pinch of it in your tea."

"Aw, you're no fun," Toph said with disappointment as she took the paper packet gratefully. Lin returned to the healer's home.

"That was mean," Kenji said as soon as he was sure Lin was out of earshot.

"No, that was hilarious!" Toph poured a fresh cup of tea and added a pinch of powder to the cup. She tucked the packet into her obi.

"That was not funny."

"Oh, I think it was," Toph said taking a sip of her tea. The bitter taste was the same as the stuff from the mountain, but it did not make her feel woozy. It did take the edge off of the pain. Toph felt Kenji get up and walk away. She suddenly felt bad.

"I was never going to tell her," She called out to him. He stopped.

"What?"

"If she tried to guess, I would have just said I couldn't tell her. I wasn't going to say anything."

"Then why play the game with her?" he asked as he watched her take a bite out of the rice cake.

"Because now we're even," she answered, swallowing her food. "I mean, I would have done it just for the laughs, but this way I can get back at you for asking me dumb questions." She held out a rice cake as a peace offering. With a deep sigh, Kenji came back. He took the rice cake and sat.

"Well, I guess if I had to be completely honest, it would have been funny if it weren't happening to me."

"See, there ya go!" Her first reaction was to punch him, but she remembered he did have a broken arm and didn't want to hurt him with a 'love tap'. So she just smiled.

"So, do you know how long you will be staying?"

"Why, you wanna ask Lin out on a date?" she teased.

"Would you rub it in if I said yes?"

"Yes, yes I will, without any hesitation," she said with a laugh. "But if it makes you feel any better, I think she likes you too."

* * *

><p>Kenji never asked Lin for a date. In fact, Lin and Toph barely saw him during the two weeks they stayed. Tamil the healer said he was busy running errands for members of the village. It didn't bother Toph. She was glad he was well, but she didn't really like the way he asked questions.<p>

Lin had wanted to stay longer than two weeks, but as soon as Toph could walk she wanted to go. The rest had been nice and they got to restock their supplies, but Toph knew they could not stay forever. She felt a pull in the earth. She wanted to keep moving while she felt the pull.

On the eve of their departure, Tamil got a knock on her door.

"Tamil, is Lin and Toph still here?" Kenji asked.

"Certainly. Would you come in?" the old healer said as she welcomed the young man in her home. She brought him to the back room where her guests were staying. Opening the door revealed both ladies sitting on a futon, Lin combing Toph's hair in preparation for bed.

"Kenji!" Lin said with surprise. "It's good to see you. I hope you are doing well." Kenji looked at his left arm, still in a splint.

"I'm doing good," Kanji answered as Toph adjusted herself on her on the futon to face him.

"What do you want," Toph asked bluntly. Lin gave her a playful swat on the shoulder.

"Toph, don't be rude."

"Well, it's true! He wants something, I can feel it!"

"Well, I do want something," he said as he took a seat across from Lin and Toph. "I was hoping you would allow me to join you."

"Not happening," Toph blurted out quickly. Lin took another swat at her.

"I said don't be rude." Lin looked at Kenji considering his request. "Why do you want to join us?"

"I owe a debt to Toph. I owe her my life," he said humbly.

"You know, I'm ok with gratitude and all, but your life belongs to you and no one else."

"That's not an answer," Kenji shot back.

"Um, neither was yours. If you owe a debt then you owe a debt. There's a lot of ways you can repay that debt. You don't have to follow me around like a sad little puppy out of some sense of duty or obligation."

Lin was surprised by Toph's answer. For so long, all Lin had seen in Toph was a spoiled brat, but much of that had changed over the weeks they traveled together. Now, Toph seemed so reasoned and mature.

"Does it really matter why I want to go?" Kenji asked.

"Yes, it does," Toph answered. Kenji thought over his answer carefully and Toph opened her senses to gauge his response.

"Sometimes bad things happen, things you have no control over. Sometimes it becomes necessary to make up for things. I'm not saying there is something I need to atone for, but I hope that by traveling with you and Lin I can learn how to live with what happened."

Toph had listened carefully and took in all the vibrations. His answer had not been precise, but it was sincere.

"Ok." Topph was satisfied with his answer and Lin was surprised yet again.

"Ok? That's it?" she asked. "You don't want to know why?" Lin suspected she knew the reason, but it was not her place to bring it up.

"The specifics don't really matter. The point is that he has a reason, I don't really need to know what it is," Toph answered. "Besides, he is not the only one who needs to learn how to live."

"So I can join you?"

"Yes, just don't slow us down," Toph said as she turned on the futon for Lin to finish combing her hair.

"I wake with the sun, but Toph takes her time getting up in the mornings. I suggest you arrive early so we can double check our supplies," Lin said as she turned her attention back to Toph's hair. Kenji nodded as he left the healer's home.

* * *

><p>If Kenji thought that Toph looked like a mess when injured, she looked even worse in the mornings. As he joined his new companions at the old healer's house, he saw that Lin looked as immaculate as ever and Toph looked positively possessed. Her hair was in complete disarray and her half-awake eyes had an evil glow. And the woman was grumpy! He already regretted joining them and they hadn't even left the house yet.<p>

They shared breakfast while Lin checked their first aid supplies and rations. She sent Kenji off to refill the water skins while Toph got dressed. By the time he got back, Toph was dressed and Lin was putting up her hair and securing it with a jade comb. Toph adjusted the bindings on her feet; an accessory she now had to wear for the rest of her life. They shouldered their packs and left the tiny town behind.

Lin was slightly relieved to have Kenji with them. With him around, it would not be necessary for Toph to risk her feet if Earth Bending was necessary. At the same time, she also worried about Toph's reaction to Kenji being Dai Li. She guessed that was the reason he needed to set out. Maybe he needed to prove that he was not the sum of the Dai Li's mistakes, that his training did not rule or define him. It was an understandable sentiment, one that she believed Toph would accept.

In truth, Toph did not need to accept anything. She knew the first time she felt Kenji bend that he was Dai Li. She had never revealed to anyone, but she could feel the unique energies of the benders and their styles. Zuko's bending energy had been so full of passion and life. Katara moved like she was dancing; her energies were a work of art. Aang was pure, unfettered freedom when Air Bending and he brought that same bliss and even whimsy to his other bending styles. Even Ty Lee revealed a vital energy when chi blocking. And Lin's energy glowed warmly. But Kenji was cold precision. His energy lacked life or intelligence. It was energy Toph was uniquely familiar with from fighting the regimented Dai Li. There was nothing for Kenji to reveal as she already knew the truth.

"So, where are we going?" Kenji asked as they walked north.

"No place in particular," Toph answered. "I'm just going where the earth tells me to go."

"You mean you have no destination?" Kenji's familiar words struck a chord in Lin. She mentally braced herself for a conversation she already had with Toph.

"Yup."

"So what's the point of traveling if you aren't going anywhere?"

"Does there need to be a point? Sometimes it's not about where you go, but how you get there," Toph answered.

'Wow, that's a much more diplomatic answer than she gave me...' Lin thought as she recalled the argument she shared with Toph over the same subject.

"Fair enough, I guess." Kenji seemed content with the answer, but he was still bothered by their direction. "I just have to wonder if you are planning to avoid the swamp or not."

"The swamp?" Lin asked.

"Yeah, just north of here. It's rumored to have mystical properties. People go in and few ever come out. Those that do are never the same."

"I know what you're talking about," Toph confirmed. "Aang, Sokka, and Katara passed through there before meeting me. They told me about what happened to them."

"So, is it really as mystical as people say it is?" Kenji asked, his curiosity overwhelming him.

"I don't know about that. A lot of the stuff that seemed to be mystical did have an underlying explanation, but Aang claimed he saw me with a flying boar. Since we hadn't met yet, it was impossible for him to know me or that my family seal is the flying boar."

"So there is something there?"

"Dunno. Aang certainly couldn't explain it. Huu, this enlightened guy who lives there, said that sometimes the swamp shows people things." Toph thought on the swamp for a moment. "But since you did bring it up, we should avoid it. I don't want to get stuck in there trying to decipher visions I can't even see."

When they made camp that night, Kenji and Lin looked over the map to plan a route that would avoid the swamp. That route ended had them skirt the mountains for several days. Once Kenji assured Toph that they were past the swamp, Toph changed their direction and headed north-west. She didn't know why it felt right, she just wanted to go north-west.

The continued until the reached the Kolau Mountain range. Lin said that Omashu was not far, which was good because they were running low on rations. Toph did not want to stop. The closer they got to Omashu, the more she wanted to move away. She could not explain the feeling, but she knew the pull was coming from the earth. She assured her companions they were not far and refused to elaborate on what they were not far from. Not wanting to let Toph travel alone, they agreed to pass by Omashu without a second thought.

They passed through the mountains without incident and came to a body of water. It was an extension of the ocean surrounding the peninsula where Toph desperately wanted to go. It was deep, but there was no strong current. Kenji wanted to swim it, but Lin protested; Toph could not swim. In the end, they opted to just walk around the water. Since they were at the tip of the water, it only added a couple of days to the trip. Once they made it to the other side, Toph seemed to change. Without water separating her from the pull, she seemed more driven than ever. She stopped talking and would not stop for sleep at night as she turned her direction to the coast. The closer she got, the more it fueled her need and the stronger the pull became. Lin guided Kenji with fire in her palm to illuminate the darkness when Toph refused to make camp. Lin was terrified of Toph and the determination in her eyes.

And then, she stopped. There was a forest and on the other side lay a valley of natural stone pillars. Toph stopped; the pull was gone. Almost three months since she left her home in Gaoling, Toph had unknowingly returned to the site that haunted her: Wulong Forest.

"This is it. This is where it happened," she whispered as the fleeting remains of strength left her and she fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Updated! I changed a bit around in the last bit.<p>

If anyone is wondering about the directions, I am using the Avatar wikia map (google it, I can't seem to post links without them disappearing). The village where they stayed is located south of the Foggy Swamp (marker 34). The position of Wulong Forest was never established in the show and the map on never revealed the location. ATLA Wikia says that Wulong Forest on the western coasts, but for the sake of putting it somewhere, I am putting it on the peninsula just north of Omashu (point 33). In my mind, that would be a good location to start a fiery genocide. The airships could start there and fan out, making good use of the short time the comet would be there. If the location of Wulong Forest is ever established, then I will probably change the story a bit, but for now this is good.

-Ravyn


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